Tennis racket vise



Dec. 10, 1935. s MORTON 2,023,641

TENNIS RACKET VISE Filed April 30, 1934 g 4 INVENTOR @ATTQREY Patented Dec. 19, 1935 I Units STA'l' rATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to tennis racket stringing Vises, and especially such a vise which with slight movements may be set to accommodate the operator. It is well known that it is quite difficult to hold a tennis racket when necessary to put in new strings. By the use of this vise, the tennis racket handle is inserted through the front end of the vise and after being clamped, the operator can place it in four different positions without the tennis racket being moved from the clamping elements of the vise. For instance the frame may be held in a horizontal position and easily reversed. Also it may be held in a perpendicular position and easily reversed. I am aware that there are other vises in use for the purpose of holding tennis rackets when stringing same, but to my knowledge there is none providing the many advantages possessed by my invention.

ing drawing in which Fig. l is a side view of the vise mounted on a workbench with its clamping blocks in perpendicular position holding a tennis racket; Fig. 2 is a side view of the vise mounted on a workbench with its clamping blocks in a horizontal position holding a tennis racket; Fig. 3 is a center sectional view of the main body of the vise less the bench clamping element and the tennis frame holding element; Fig. 4 is a plan view with part cut away of a turn buckle assembly for use in connection with the vise instead of the cross member 36 holding tennis racket as shown in Fig. 1.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In Fig. 1, I is a flat metal base provided with clamp I8 and clamping screw 21, made fast to bench 9. Made fast to base I are collars 2 and 3. Passing through these collars is tube t of sufiicient inside diameter to accommodate the largest size of tennis racket handle. Made fast to tube 4 is collar 5 so placed as to keep coil spring l2 slightly compressed. Collar 6 is made fast to tube 4 and is provided with holes l placed at each quarter in collar 5. These holes are disposed to fit over stud in collar 3. Clamp blocks 55 and H are made fast to collar 6. Wing screw passes through clamp block Iii by being screwed into threaded hole l3 and goes on into threaded hole I3 in block ll. Clamp blocks It and H are connected by hinge 26. By means of the wing screw blocks l0 and H are clamped to the flat part of tennis frame it. In order to keep the frame of the racket from losing its shape while the strings 3B are being strung in, extension arm lg The invention is illustrated in the accompany-- is provided with sliding member 23 having studs 2%? and 2| in said sliding member 23. L shaped screw 22 is disposed to slide member 23 either backward or forward by turning screw member 22. Extension arm I9 is provided with a cross 5 member 36 slidable in member 24. This cross member is provided with studs 32 and 33 on one end and 3d and 35 on the other end, but the studs 34 and 35 are mounted in a sliding member 14 on cross arm 36 so as the same may be adjusted 10 by operation of the L shaped screw 8. 3t and 3! indicate tools used by the operator to hold strings 343 in place. Clamping blocks Ill and H v are partly cut away as indicated by 28 and 29 so as to accommodate the flat part on the tennis l5 racket. 38 is the female part of a turn buckle provided with male members 31 having right and left threads respectively. This turn buckle assembly may be used to close the tennis racket frame or expand same instead of cross member 20 36. When the tennis racket handle is inserted through tube 4, it is held in place to prevent it' from wobbling around by thumb screws ll operating through collar I6 that is made fast to tube 4. After the tennis racket is placed through tube 4 25 of the vise and is clamped with blocks Ill and H, and thumb screws H are adjusted, and the frame of the racket is made secure by means of the assembly carried on extension arm i9, it is ready to be strung. The operator may then pull the tennis 30 racket in a direction from the work bench so as to compress spring I 2 sufiiciently to revolve tube 4 in collars 2 and 3, but in order to revolve same it must be pulled out far enough for collar 6 to be released by stud 25 out of one of the holes 1 in 35 collar 6. Thus it is apparent that after the tennis racket is made secure in the vise the job of stringing can be finished in four different positions by simply revolving the racket in its various clamps without loosening any of the clamps. This is a 40 decided advantage because it enables the operator to string the frame lying fiat and reversing same, or placing the frame in a perpendicular position and then reversing same.

Having described my invention I claim:

1. A tennis racket vise comprising a revolving tube through which the tennis racket handle passes, clamping devices made fast to each end of said revolving tube, an extension arm made fast to said revolving tube, said extension arm being adapted to carry a cross member, said extension arm and cross member being provided with adjustable clamps to hold the tennis racket frame in rigid position, said revolving tube being provided with a spring to hold it in several desired positions, said revolving tube being provided with a collar having holes disposed to fit over a stud, said entire vise being provided with a clamp and wing screw suitable to be fastened to an OIdlnary workbench.

2. A tennis racket vise of the class described:

comprising a tube of a size for a tennis racket ban-- dle to enter, clamping devices at each end of said tube, collars disposed around said tube in which said tube can revolve, a spring surrounding said tube and disposed to hold said tube in a fixed position, an extension arm made fast to said tube, said extension arm being provided with adjustable members to hold a tennis racket frame in rigid position,'said revolving tube being provided with a collar'having holes disposed to fit over a stud, said holes and stud being placed to hold said revolving tube in four separate positions, said visebeing provided with a clamp and wing screw suitable for holding said vise on an ordinary workbench.

3. A tennis racket stringing vise comprising in combination a gripping member for the handle of racket, said gripping member having jaws forholding the handle adjacent to the frame of the racket, adjustable screws disposed to hold handle and racket rigidly, an extension arm from the main body of the vise, a slidable member on said arm for holding the racket frame in rigid position, a cross member on said extension arm having means to hold both sides of the racket in rigid position, means whereby the tennis racket may be revolved in the vise without loosening any clamps holding theracket in its rigid position.

TAZEWELL S MORTON. 

